I got to meet a lot of people. They might, but we dont know. But in regular neighborhoods, quote unquote, clearly Im against them. I dont know if its the same degree or not, but Im a firm believer in you can always be better, you should always try to be better. I agree with her that the vast majority of our officers in Honolulu are honorable law-abiding people who care about our community, but theres always room for improvement. We need to identify state lands that make sense for housing our communities. As lieutenant governor, Senator Schatz built such a team, and we should reconstitute it. And its more prevalent than people who think or want admit. Are you gonna tell a hotel, Hey, you gotta move a mile inland, or 500 feet. What are you gonna do about that? I struggled financially, admits Amemiya in recalling that period of his life in the 1980s. We need to look at all those options, and COVID has kinda taught us that maybe not everyone has to work in the office everyday. Copyright MidWeek | All rights reserved. As a state, we have only scratched the surface in terms of our potential as a hub for media production. It seems like the commission was the same culture that it had back when you were there, that led to Kealoha, that led to the payoff to Kealoha. Thats the only way we can get out of this, that we have to help each other. Yes, its a non-partisan race, but almost everybody I come across asks me what party I belong to. And I have a lot of support on the grassroots. Homelessness is a complicated problem, as we all know. Many residents and business owners often and rightfully felt confused, fearful, and uncertain with restrictions and recovery plans. I know their issues. Clearly that wasn't enough, and that's an ongoing issue, and I'm glad that steps are being finally made to level the playing field for girls in terms of the sports facilities that they need and deserve. 500 Ala Moana Blvd. So, I empathize with other families who have to deal with that, and I think we need to do more as a society to address it and not just sweep it under the rug. So my wife and I built, bought a unit in 801 South Street, and to be clear, there was a certain percentage of units made available through the open public or general public. Why cant we testify via Skype, like I said, or Facetime? Prior to this pandemic crisis, the city was in pretty good financial shape. Now, in terms of the project, you are talking about, transit-oriented development is one area where we can utilize to build more housing. Now, criminality, I dont know, Im not willing to say that. thats the closest I can get. Keith, the so-called sweeping of homeless encampments has been a pretty controversial element of Mayor Caldwells response to un-sheltered homelessness. We need to look at if we have to pay the workers in DPP more Ive been told that the turnover rate is high because the pay is low, and once they get the commensurate experience, they move on to the private sector. We have to wait and see. [20][21], American business executive and politician, 2022 Hawaii lieutenant gubernatorial election, "New TV Spots Promote Keith Amemiya's Democratic Roots", "Keith Amemiya: Political Outsider Or Establishment Insider? You have a heart condition, you go to the doctor. Keith, this election is about future generations, our keiki. Little wonder why so many of his supporters believe that in a city ripe for a leader who can galvanize the masses, Amemiya represents their best hope. Their first date was dinner at a nondescript sports bar in Honolulu. The state needs to take an active role in increasing the supply of housing for middle- and low-income residents. The mayor has appointed some two new people, and well see whether they do a good job. I worked with high school principals, local businesses, and community leaders, including Carissa Moore and Marcus Mariota, to distribute over 20,000 meals at schools to ensure our keiki and their families were fed. We need to look at maybe elongating the financing of the rail project, but we need to finish the rail project. At least two of your competitors say that they dont need training wheels to be mayor. Thats a function of poor communication between government and our citizenry, and thats something that I wanna emphasize as mayor. Whoever was involved in the project before the construction started. It was good for me in the long run, says an appreciative Amemiya in assessing the Kobayashis impact on his life. Thats a huge amount. We need to empower principals to make decisions that are right for their students and communities and invest more in our schools and communities to truly support our next generations. They married in 1996 and have a son. Well, theres a couple of other ways. Its unfair for a mother of two who has a job to expect to be able to take four hours off from work, sit in the gallery at City Council, waiting to testify, not knowing if shes gonna be able to testify, being whether shes number two on the list or number 142 on the list. But theres three other areas that I think should be, or know should be, reviewed as part of police reform, if you will. Im the only candidate for lieutenant governor who is not a career politician or a lobbyist and who has executive leadership experience leading large statewide organizations. Mayoral candidate @keithamemiya joins me to discuss all of the issues we as a community are dealing with in the unprecedented time. Homelessness Mental He. The ethics commission should have more enforcement powers. Essentially, they told him that although they had welcomed him into their home and raised him since his early teenage years, he the childhood buddy of their son Christopher and someone whom Bert had frequently coached in youth sports leagues needed to learn to stand on his own. Stopping it actually makes a situation worse again. Im not complaining about it, but its stressful to have to care and worry about someone in your family thats mentally ill. Its on your mind numerous times a day, everyday. The project has a least another five or six years, I think, to completion. I believe youve actually considered amending our city charter to give the commission more teeth. He prefers to tout his accomplishments as a statewide leader, which includes years of public service as executive director of Hawaii High School Athletic Association and executive administrator to the Board of Regents at University of Hawaii. As Bonny puts it, When you spend a lot of time with someone, I guess they just grow on you.. Learn more here. And thats one of the first priorities that I want to take. [2], Since January 2021, Amemiya has served as executive director of the Central Pacific Bank Foundation. We talk with Keith about the reasons why he's running for lieutenan. Keith has got a good skill-set when it comes to dealing with people and making connections with them, observes wife Bonny. Since 2007, he has donated $63,400 to local and state political campaigns, according to state data. Keith Amemiya, Honolulu Mayoral Candidate: Well, Im running for mayor because we need change. Keith Amemiya, better known by her family name Keith Amemiya, is a popular American business executive and politician. What would you do differently than current and previous mayors? I need to show voters that Im running to be mayor for the right reason, he continues. He defeated Keith Amemiya, 58.2% to 38.8%, in the November general election, and was sworn into office on January 2, 2021. So if theres a project where the developer engaged in honest, meaningful communication, followed the process and got approval, then yes, theres a point, government needs to enforce the law, of course. Would you continue that practice. We have many people working second and third jobs, but they need to pay attention. And thats why Im running. Corruption scandals at the Capitol have shaken our trust in Hawaiis elected officials. My plan to lower the cost of living consists of: Umm, there must be some issue I changed my mind on, and I need to think about it a little more. Its a comprehensive plan that seeks to aggressively reduce the housing vacancy or housing inventory shortage that we have right now. Do you support that, given what you just said about the hotel industry, and what mechanisms do you think there is there within the power of a mayor to actually control the flow, the number and the type of tourists? I even worked the weekends as a handyman to help pay my way through college at the University of Hawaii and law school afterward.. Theres only a few hundred shelter beds available at any one time, so in the meantime, when there is this immediate situation, would you continue enforcement? So the rail project right now, its a major step. Number one is crack down on the illegal vacation rentals; theres too many out there. Check us out any time for great content and great community. Well, Id like to think that my hallmark, my background, is based on trust and integrity. My roots are deepest in education, having served as the Executive Director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, Executive Administrator and Secretary of the University of Hawaiis Board of Regents, and as a State of Hawaii Board of Education Member. Keith, I wanted to go back on the mental health issue. My understanding is that theyre nearly finished with it, and it is a road map, a guide map on how to address climate change in the next several decades. Relatives & Associates. So as mayor, if you find yourself in the middle of it, what do you say to each of those factions, when people are putting themselves on the line? You say that you want to restore trust in government. I think my career has shown that. I have dedicated my career to public service by working directly in every community statewide throughout my career. "Keith brings a wealth of knowledge, relationships and experience to CPB Foundation," said Catherine Ngo, Chair, CPB Foundation. Keith Amemiya, thank you so much for your time. Keith Amemiya named executive director of Central Pacific Bank Foundation By Star-Advertiser Staff Feb. 27, 2021 COURTESY PHOTO Keith Amemiya Prev Next Central Pacific Bank Foundation has. Cory Lum/Civil Beat. All rights reserved, Central Pacific Bank Business Debit Mastercard, See All Central Pacific Investment Services. You know, you bringing up now, talking about tourism, a lot of people are coming off of our 10 million tourist year and then actually having a sort of vacation from the tourists right now. He has served as Chief Administrative Officer for the University of Hawaii Board of Regents and Honolulu Police Commissioner.He is an attorney, former executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, and executive involved with the investments of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative created by Mark Zuckerberg and his . Well, I take that back, its homelessness and the high cost of living, high-cost housing. bike to work, walk to work, catch the bus to work. Inspired by the example set by his hnai family following his biological parents divorce when he was 10, Amemiya has graciously opened up his home to neighbor island athletes over the past two decades. Well, Airbnbs were primarily used by people who were trying to avoid Everybody says the same thing. The more dialogue, the more feedback, the better for everyone. There are hardly any services in Chinatown. Well, we need to do what we can to find them alternative places to live. Keith, part of short-term rental enforcement is obviously the Department of Planning and Permitting, which has been bogged down on both the planning and permitting sides for years. Thats the aloha spirit at work, and those who are fortunate need to help those who are less fortunate. And I think you also need to have a zero tolerance for corruption. I was heavily involved in that project, it was a project involving the state, the city, the non-profit sector, and we were able to build, in rather short order, 150 homes housing 600 people, 150 families that were previously homeless, and there are plans in the works to build more of those. And its important to work well with state government; we have a small state, where everyone knows each other. Amemiya is perhaps best known for his tenure as the HHSAAs Executive Director, during which the HHSAA doubled the number of state championships held annually, including introducing many new sports for female student-athletes, to the point that Hawaii now holds the most state championships in the country. Ive done that. Were also coming out of a remarkable situation, the police chief convicted, his wife, the former deputy prosecutor, theres a loss of confidence in the part of the citizens, the City and County of Honolulu, whether they can trust an HPD officer. Why did you do that, when the office of mayor is non-partisan? We have limited resources, so its imperative that the next mayor have a good relationship with our federal delegation, our state delegation and the City Council, and I intend to have a good relationship with all three. And there was certainly cultures of looking the other way for domestic violence, there was favoritism among police officers. Where do the previous administrations fail, though cause everyone says, we need more affordable housing. Do you think that it was incompetence or criminality that got us where we are? Yet, Amemiya apparently did well enough over time to convince her that he was the one. Their oldest son, Chris, was my best friend. Lack of political will. Beyond Leadership. How does that comment make you feel? Were currently 22,000 units short on Oahu. Especially during these difficult economic times, its critical that they have the resources needed to continue their important work in helping people get back on their feet.. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Keith Amemiya . Those people need revenue, their lack of having gainful employment affects all of us, affects the citys revenue, affects the states revenue, the federal revenue. Keith Amemiya is an attorney and the Senior Vice-President of Island Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Island Insurance and four other local subsidiaries. For the very determined Keith Amemiya, the seeds of his disposition were planted the day hnai parents Bert and Harriet Kobayashi sat him down for a heart-to-heart discussion about his future. Chad, why dont you go ahead and start. A lot of families dont have that opportunity, but we took that opportunity, and we didnt do two things that I wanted. One of the things about working class people we hear, with the hotel workers, for example, one job should be enough, and calling for better wages. I wanted to switch gears over to rail, and I know Daryl, you wanted, you had several questions on the rail project. Were looking at in just a few decades or less, with even just a few feet of sea level rise, those being inundated, and that means roads are gonna be falling to the sea. And thats what I intend to do as mayor. I mean, it sounds like its been a chronic problem for many years. Personal Banking Beyond the Basics is a blog dedicated to financial literacy in Hawaii. Many of them were struggling. I will continue enforcement as long as we find more shelter beds. So, none of those incidents that you mentioned were brought to our attention. So, hearing you say a lot about communication, that Im seeing two examples, all very fresh with very different outcomes and a lot of different interpretations of what actually happened. Ill answer the resistance to change part first. Now granted, I had a lot of help with that, but it was through my initiative to do that, and Im proud of giving girls more opportunities. Keith, you know, whenever we mention illegal vacation rentals, we always have people call us and say whether theyre illegal or not, they need that income from that house or from that room in their house to supplement their income because our cost of living is so bad. Thats no longer gonna happen. They should have more ability to investigate wrongdoing in city government. Itll help to maintain our tourist attractions, like our natural tourist attractions, whether its the Koko Head stairs or other natural hikes. And they have a lottery system, if Im not mistaken, where not everyone can get a car even if they want to. Fortunately for him, he isnt laboring alone. Well, that was a lot more than three words. Amemiya's campaign web site says he and his wife purchased a. Young people are leaving our state in alarming numbers, and we cant attract and retain essential workers because Hawaii is simply not affordable. Or did you change anything? And to me, thats unacceptable. Everythings okay, weve heard you, youve had a chance to voice your concerns, but were moving ahead. Would you support that project? Build water and infrastructure capacity, where appropriate, to incentivize development of housing local families can afford. We need to contemplate innovative revenue generation opportunities, including potential green taxes, to create more funding. You know, I never held it against her. I mean, I cant blame it all on government. So I prefer looking at that area first, and I also wanna look at technology and being more efficient. They know that the job functions of many of their employees in HGEA need to be retooled, and so I look forward to working with both unions to make their workers jobs better and more efficient and beneficial to the taxpayers. But I wouldnt rule anything off the table at this point. Today, she serves as girls basketball coach at Molokai High. Can you tell us a little bit about that? The contracts were not as airtight as they could have been with the various developers and suppliers of the project, and it just was a mess from the beginning. When I was in charge of the (HHSAA), I had the opportunity to visit every community on this island. Ive led large statewide organizations. In addition to creating long-term housing that our families can actually afford, the state has neglected supporting the mental health needs of our community. Keith, one of the major contributors here to the carbon, to our carbon footprint, is road transportation. I hear from everyone in the construction industry, the development industry, even the home improvement industry, people who wanna build an extension to their house. Right now, my favorite song is Mama Mia, cause. Like it or not, Im forewarning you, we have a campaign song that is sung to that tune. [2] Remember, one-third of the people in this state actually voted for President Trump. "I'm running for. Keith Y Amemiya: Address 1942 Lusitana St Apt C, Honolulu, HI Keith Amemiya, 56 Summary Court Records Reviews Contact & Personal Details Relatives & Associates Keith Amemiya is 56 years old today because Keith's birthday is on 09/01/1965. Homes on the North Shore, when the tide is up, what are you gonna do about this? How would that work? The lieutenant governors office is an office of opportunity. And as mayor, I will work with everyone. Keith, speaking about Governor Ige, obviously, one of the things the mayor will have to do is work closely with the governor and with the legislature, particularly now, in the recovery from COVID. I am running to change the status quo, end political corruption, and put our local families interests first. Im not afraid to say Im a Democrat and I stand for the democratic ideals.' We wanted to get to climate change and its impact on infrastructure, Chad, did you wanna start off with that? I sympathize with the public. After graduating from Punahou in 1983, Amemiya studied finance and law at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa, where he earned his degrees. I created girls water polo, I created girls judo, I created girls wrestling. We changed it a bit, and we have people dancing and singing to it. The Amemiyas were not alone. We wanted to move along to some questions about police. We can do other things, and maybe were gonna talk about Sunshine Law before this hour is over, but we need to get more meaningful engagement from the community, not just neighborhood board commission meetings. I feel that people who have the power to affect change should do so, and we need to do what we can to make life better for them. Our future generations have been overlooked for far too long, and we need to build our future for them. There within these hubs, he envisions a city within a city thats full of housing, retail outlets, grocery stores, restaurants and entertainment all within a walkable, bikeable distance of the rail station, and where we can decrease our reliance on cars., During the early stages of the COVID-19 shutdown, Amemiya helped organize delivery of 14,000 meals at Palolo and Kauluwela elementary schools. We need to look at it top to bottom, we need to look at creative ways that have been done successfully on the mainland. Climate change is the crisis of our lifetime, he notes. Keith brings a wealth of knowledge, relationships and experience to CPB Foundation, said Catherine Ngo, Chair, CPB Foundation. Theyre experienced in leaving their office to run for another office during the term that theyre sitting in office. It was done under the Abercrombie administration. My family was having some problems and I was taken in by my best friends family. I would lose votes if I do that. I view my lack of direct experience in politics as a plus. Its important for a mayor to lead by example, and right now the public has little trust in government and political leaders, says Amemiya. So far, momentum appears to be on his side with last weeks news that he was outpacing his political rivals in campaign funds raised with more than $1.2 million. Incompetence or criminality that got us where we are your concerns, they. Community are dealing with in the project has a least another five or six years, I they., Since January 2021, Amemiya has served as executive director of the contributors. Young people are leaving our state in alarming numbers, and uncertain with restrictions and plans... Heard you, we have a lottery system, if Im not willing say., she serves as girls basketball coach at Molokai high family name keith Amemiya, better known her. 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